Suction cleaner



Aug 1941- v.2. sHANK 2,251,294

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Nov. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l NvNToR ATTO R N EY Aug 5, 1941. c. L. SHANK 2,251,294

SUCTIONCLEANER Filed Nov. 28, 1938 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR' [harles L. Jlzank ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1941 SUCTION CLEANER Charles L. Shank, North Canton,hio,' asslgnor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 28, 1938, Serial No.1t242f7131 9, Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to a new and novel agitator for suction cleaners. More specifically the invention comprises a rotary agitator in which the surface-brushing means comprise helically arranged brush elements which are pivoted about axially extending pivotal axes, the agitator also being provided with rigid beating elements.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved rotary agitator for suction cleaners in which the brushing means comprise brush elements which are individually pivoted upon axes extending parallel to the axis of agitator rotation. A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved replaceable brush unit for a suction cleaner agitator. A still further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotary agitator for suction cleaners in which the rigid beating elements and specially mounted flexible brush elements cooperate to'remove foreign material from a surface covering, the beating elements being ineffective when the cleaner passes over bare supporting floors but the brush elements passing in sweeping relationship thereto. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

No claim is made in the present case to the 7 broad invention of a floor-sweeping agitator which invention instead is set forth and claimed in'a co-pending patent application Serial No. 242,714 in the name of Howard Earl Hoover.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a modern suction cleaner embodying the present invention with certain parts of the cleaner casing broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the rotary agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section through the agitator of Figure 2 and discloses the pivotal mounting of the brush elements of the first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a transverse section upon ll of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse section upon the line the line 5-4") of Figure 3;

It is v Figure 6 illustrates the sweeping action of the .pivoted brush elements when the cleaner passes over a bare floor;

I Figure 7 is a side view of a brush unit constructed in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention and removed from the cleaner agitator;

Figure 8 is an exploded view of the brush element seat and the'support by which it is pivotally mounted in the brush back;

Figure 9 is a side view of a second preferred embodiment of the removable brush unit with part of the brush seat broken away to show the pivotal mounting of the brush element;

Figure 10 is a section through a brush element being taken on the line Ill-l0 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a section through the brush unit at the side of a brush element being taken upon the line il-H of Figure 9;

Figure 12 is an enlarged view similar to Figure 10 which illustrates the manner in which the brush back is deformed to retain the pivot pins of the brush elements.

Effective cleaning is accomplished in themodern suction cleaner by the cooperation of surface agitation and air flow in contact with the surface covering undergoing cleaning. The most effective surface agitation comprises posi tive agitation by rigid beating elements which vibrate the surface covering to dislodge therefrom the'embedded foreign material, and brush action by flexible brush elements which smooth and straighten the pile of the surface covering. The rigid heatin elements being of polished metal in their preferred form have an indefinite life and do not require replacement. The brush elements, however, are usually formed of animal bristles and are subject 'to wear. dependent upon their freedom to flex upon contact with the surface covering.

In the suction cleaner' agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention the brush parallel to the axis of rotation there is an entire and desirable absence of any binding action cleaning characteristics are obtained by arranging the individual elements helically upon the Their life is v agitator and in alignment with. a helically extending rigid beater element. v

Referring again to the drawings and to Figure 1 in particular, a modem suction cleaner is illustrated which is seen to comprise a main casing formed with a nozzle I having surface-contacting lips 2 and 3; a fan chamber 4; and an exhaust outlet 5. The nozzle'l is connected by an air passageway 6 to the fan chamber and in cleaner operation a suction-creating fan 1 in the fan chamber draws air into the nozzlebetween the nozzle lips 2 and 3, rearwardly through the air passageway 6 into the fan chamber and exhausts it therefrom through the outlet into the removably secured dust bag 8. The fan 1 is driven by an unshownmotor positioned within a motor casing 9 immediately above the fan chamber 6 but the motor shaft. II], on which the fan 1 is di- 'rectly mounted, is illustrated and is seen to extend downwardly through the fan chamber into the air passageway 6 where it is formed as a pulley II to which connects a power-transmitting belt I2. The belt l2 extends forwardly through the air passageway to drive a rotating agitator l3 positioned within the nozzle and adapted to contact a surface undergoing cleaning between the nozzle lips 2 and 3;

As in the usual cleaner the cleaner body is movably supported by front wheels, one of which is indicated by the reference character l5, and by rear wheels one of which isindipated by the reference character I6. The latter wheels are provided with manually operable means H by which they can be vertically adjusted for the purpose of raising and lowering the nozzle relative to a surface undergoing cleaning. A pivoted handle 18 is connected to the body of the machine and provides means by which the operator can propel the machine.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 8, inclusive, the rotary agitator constructed in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention is illus-:-

trated. The agitator is seen to comprise a cylindrical body 20 formed substantially midway of its length with a groove 2| which serves as a pulley to seat the power-transmitting belt l2, shown .in Figure 1. At each end of the cylindrical body 20 is an end plate 22 which seats a ball bearing 23 the inner race of which is carried by a supporting shaft 24 which extends beyond each end of the agitator body- 20 to be carried by the end walls of the nozzle l. A stationary thread guard 25 is screw threaded upon each end of the shaft "and at its flanged periphery'overlies the adjacent end plate 22 and cylindrical body 20 to protect the adjacent bearing 23 against accumulation of foreign matter.

Rigid 'beating'elements 21, 21 are carried by the cylindrical body 20 and extend radially therebeyond. The heater elements are helically disposed and are positioned upon opposite sides of the centrally located pulley 2!. each element extending substantially one-half of the agitator. length. Aligned with each beater element-21 is a removable brush unit which is positioned upon the opposite side of .the pulley 2| from the ele- "ment, the two rows being substantially diametrically spaced.

Each removable brush unit'comprises a rigid metallic brush backv 28 formed with diverging side walls and which seats within the normal consecure the brush back in place and enable it to be removed when desired. The brush back 28 itself describes a helix, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 7, and pivotally mounted along its length is a series of pivoted brush elements 34, 34 each of which comprises a brush tuft 35 stapled withina brush seat 36 which is bifurcated on its underside.

Each tuft seat 36 is pivotally'mounted by a pivot pin 38 upon a support element 39. which extends between the legs of the seat and also passes downwardly through an opening 42 in the brush seat 28 to be retained in place, together with all the adjacent and aligned support elements 39, by a locking wire 40 which passes along the underside of the back. Each support element 39 is formed with a pair of shoulders 4| on its underside adjacent its opening 42 in the brush back 28. I

Each brush element is permitted a pivotal movement in a plane perpendicular to the agitator axis, the pivot pins 38 being parallel thereto, between a central position, illustrated in full lines in Figure 4, and side positions, indicated in dotted lines in the same figure. When contacting a surface covering undergoing cleaning, or a bare floor, the frictional resistance between the extremity of the brush tuft and the surface causes the element to pivot against the action of the normal centrifugal force caused by the agitator rotation.

The agitator -I3 is so mounted within the nozzle that in cleaning a surface covering the latter 'is' lifted into contact with the lips 2 and 3 and is in Figure 6. As a result the agitator rotation brushes the bare floors to dislodge therefrom the surface litter which is carried away by the air stream into the cleaner.

Referring now to Figures 9 to 12', inclusive, in particular, a second preferred embodiment of the removable brush element is illustrated. This removable unit is adapted to bepositioned within the agitator illustrated in Figure 2 just as is the removable brush unit of the first embodiment shown as a unit in Figure '1.

In the second preferred embodiment of the brush unit the brush back is indicated by the reference character 46 and is helically shaped as in the first embodiment. The element supports 39 with their retaining wire 40 of the first embodiment have been eliminated in the present construction, however, and in place thereof the brush back 46 is formed'with a plurality of integral sup orts 41 each of which extends between the legs of a tuft seat 36 and carries the pivotal pin 48 of each element. The pin 48 is retained in each support 41 by the deformation of the upper extremities thereof which closes the top of a central channel 49 formed therein within which the pin is seated. This deformation takes place after the brush seat has been positioned with the.

pin 48 in the support 41 and results in the upper extremities of the sides of the supports being changed from the full line position, illustrated in Figure 12, to the dotted line position illustrated i for limited. arcuate; movement upon arcuately 7 A=removable brush unit for a suction cleanand'to theraxis oi agitator rotation. a helix: and; formed with spaced integral brush spaced axes attended paral el t each r 8;. In aesucti'on cleaner, a body including a nozand to theeaxisofaglt t r rotationzle; having: lips, a rotary agitator in said nozzle ,verging side wallsand a plurality of brush elecomprising a backand spirally arranged brush 2,251,294 3 in-the-same figure. vEach pivot pin 48 extends ax- 6.. Azremovable brush unit for a suction cleaniaily, that is, parallel to the agitator supporting or agitator comprising a rigid back disposed 'on a shaftwhenzthe brush unit is positioned within the helix and having spaced openings, brush element agitator, and," is secured in place therein in the supports positioned on said back and extended manner ofthe brushunit of the first embodiment. 6 through saida openings, a continuous wire on the 1201211111. underside of said back securing said supports in -1A m ry i tor f r a suction cleaner composition, and. brush elements individually pivoted prising. a brush unit including; a helically aron said: supports and each including a brush tuit ranged series or brush elements freely pivoted andiartuit seat.

paced, fixedv axes extended parallel to each other er agitator comprising a rigid back disposed on 21 A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner comelementsupports, and a plurality or pivoted brush pr at rushunitzincluding angularly arranged? elements including flexible bristles and seats inadifacenit b sh elements individu lly pivote for? dividually pivoted on said supports about parallel free limited? arcuate. movement upon arcuately' fixedzaxesg '3; A removable brush unit tor a suction cleanincluding a rigid beater element which in rota; er rotary'aeit t r comprising-a ri id b k curve tiorr describes an orbit substantially tangent to to describe a." helix on an imaginary cylinder, a the. plane. of the nozzle lips and pivoted brush F of brush elements arranged on said back element the end of which in rotation describes an m pivotefiip Parallel fixed 9395- orbit which extends through the plane of the nozfl brush unit for a Suction cleanale lips to sweep bare floors, said brush elements er agitator comprising a rigid back and aseries of being heiically arranged and pivoted on fixed r i y displaceable individual freely piv axesextended parallel to the axis of agitator robrush elements on said back positioned helically t t whereby Said dements can b deflected by with respect to an imaginary cylinder having its a surface covering suction-lifted against the nozlongitudinal axis spaced from said back, the pivzle lips and prevented from extending below the otal axes or said elements being fixed and paralplane or said lips.

, 9. A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner com- 5. A removable brush unit for a suction cleanprising a body with an agitating element receiver agitator comprising arigid back having diing recess in its surface, a removable brush unit ments positioned between said diverging side elements pivoted upon fixed axes parallel to each w ll p v upbn P e fi ed axes, dno b other and to the axis of rotation of the bOdy cartioned helically with respect to an imaginary cylried by said back, and means releasably securing inder having its longitudinal axis spaced irom said back in said recess.

said back. CHARLE L. SHARK. 

